Retaining clip



- April 1950, E. P. BOLDUC 2,505,273

RETAINING CLIP Filed Dec. 29, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

EMILE P. BOLDUC BY Y A T TORNE KS April 25, 1950 E. P. BOLDUC 2,505,273

I RETAINING CLIP Filed Dec. 29, 1945 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6

lNVE/V TOR EMILE P. BOLDUC BY I ' A TTORNEYJ Patented Apr. 25, 1950 RETAINING CLIP Emile P. Bolduc, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor of one-half to Tip-Top Products Company, Omaha, Nebr., a corporation of Nebraska Application December 29, 1945, Serial N 0. 638,248

This invention relates to fulcrumed clips particularly adapted to retain the curls or looks of human hair, but adapted for wide general use where it is desirable to, within a range of thicknesses, clamp and retain a series or multiplicity of individual elements.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple and highly eificient spring clip of the fulcrumed jaw type which is adapted to be manufactured at low cost and constructed from a single piece ofwire having an adequate degree of resiliency.

A further object is the provision of a simple, commercially economical method of making my improved clip from integral lengths of wire.

Another object is the provision of an ornate, compact, fulcrumed clip adapted to be readily manipulated to open a pair of cooperating clamping jaws and constructed to be disposed flush against a surface and to secure a multiplicity of plies, strands or other elements together in a predetermined arrangement.

In beauty parlor work, the retaining of curls and waves is quite an essential feature. Adequate retention, easy application and comfort are factors in the success of retaining clips used upon human hair. My improved device complies with all requirements and is particularly well adapted for retaining curls and waves in beauty parlor culture.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be more apparent from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views and in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a completed embodiment of my retaining clip in an opened position for receiving a curl or other material to be retained;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view with a portion of the length of wire broken away illustrating the first steps of bending utilized in the carrying out of my novel method;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the carrying out of further steps;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the completion of the essential steps of my method with the device in final form with the exception of crimping (if it is desired), one of the cooperating jaws;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a completed device embodying another form of my invention with thejaws open for receiving material to be gripped;

3 Claims. (Cl. 24261) Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the first few steps of my method applied to the production of the second form;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view illustrating a number of subsequent steps;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the device completed with the exception of crimping one of the jaws; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the application of my retaining clip for retaining curls formed in a womans hair.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. '1 to 4 inclusive, my

device is constructed from a single integral length of bendable but resilient material such as wire, constructed to form a pair of cooperating fulcrumed clamping jaws A and B which are normally disposed in closed clamping position and which are actuated for opening by a pair of actuating handles X and Y fixed to the inner and fulcrumed ends of jaws A and B respectively. Jaws A and B are in the form of elongated loops interconnected for resilient spreading by means of the short, looped actuating handles Y and X and are fulcrumed about a transverse leg or fulcrum element F which is intermediately connected with the two jaws and their actuating handles and serves as a part of the connection therebetween. One or both of the actuating handles X and Y are angled obtusely with respect to the general plane of the related jaws A and B to leave said handles X and Y divergent for actuation when the clip is in normal position.

The detailed structure, functions and advantages of my improved clip can best be understood by describing my novel method of manufacture or production, to wit:

A length of suitable wire or analogous material of a nature to retain its shape when sharply bent but nevertheless having a fair degree of resiliency, is selected. For the lighter clips used in curl retaining and for securing correspondence and light papers, ordinary piano wire has been found highly successful. For retaining and gripping files, heavier sheet material and for use as a clothes pin, heavier wire material possessing adequate resiliency, is recommended.

In carrying out my method, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the length of wire, preferably but not necessarily in straight form, is bent adjacent one extremity ll into a substantially fiat, U- shaped loop 12 constituting one of the jaws of the device. The loop shown is of rectangular form obtained through two bends of the stock at right angles although it will be understood that 3 this loop may be bent along an arcuate or variable curve. The very extremity H of the wire is bent to curve downwardly relative to the plane of loop l2 and this may be performed as the first step, simultaneously with the bending of the loop 12 or later in the production of my clip.

After formation of loop 12, the immediate stock of the wire adjacent the last leg formecLis bent upwardly at anob'tu'se arigle to thejplane of the adjoining leg and thereafter bent as shown, to form a squared loop [3 although it will be understood that the bends of loop l3 may be (but not preferably) formed by curved bending of the stock. The last leg i311 formed in loop i3 ex tends outwardly of the extremityd'l of firmware and the stock immediately adjacent thereto is rectangularly bent to traverse the inner end of the loop or jaw I2 and to underlie and ngage the downwardly curved extremity, as shown in Fig. 3 and to lie behind the first leg formed on the actuator loop l3. s This transverse length of wire it "constitutes, in this form of the invention, thefulcrum'element'fortheclip.

The stock immediate t'o transverse fulcrum elementl l i's'bentat right angles to the fulcrum, extending rearwardly from the loop of jaw iZ'an'd ata diverg entf'a'ri'gl'e to the adjacent leg of the actuator loop I 3,'an'd'said stock is thereafter bent into a square loop l5, preferably about similar in size-and "shape to the actuator loop 13. The second legit formed in 'the making of actuator loop l5 (handle Y of the device) is extended beneath thetra nsverse fmcru'm'ele'ment M as shown in Fig. iand 'it is thenfb'ent or doubled in the form of a Vtoextend "in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the loop 12 with it's bent extremity extending, as shown, slightly beyond the extremity of loop I ZfQr'abutment'therewith to retain the jaws of the clip in opposed clam-ping relation for actuation to engage material tobe-c'lipp'ed. From this .des'cription'a'nd inspeetion of Fig. 4, it will be seen that the last mentioned elongated loo forming thefjaw B of my device, is also fulcrumed about the transverse element t' l.

'T-he'ca rryirig out of the several steps of my method-as recited with angu'lation and bending of the wanousparts and legs of the device, to nesmany pbs'iti0n' the"tWo jaws A and B into conta'ct'er abutment, provides'for a strong torsional tensi'onbetween the 'two jaws when the actuating-handles X an'd Y are urged together, the jaws surcr'uniin upon the transverse element M. in this connection, in the form disclos'ed, the up er jaw is mainly swung aboutthe fulcrum is tlirough the abutting relation of the angled portion -at the forward side of the clip as viewed in Fig. 4, while the swinging movement of the lower saw B is i'nainly occasioned through engagement of the underlying portion of the leg I6 in its relation to the'fulerum element. Torsio'nal tension is built up of course, throughout the entire line f integ-ral connection between the twoj'aws fthi o'ugh fulcrum l4 and the coo eratin actuating handles.

It is'often desirable to crimp the clamping area of one of the jaws which is accomplished by applying crimping force preferably in a direction normal totheplane of the jaw. V

The-form of the clip and "the essential steps of the methodo'f manufacture as illustrated in Figs. to 8 inclusive, a-re''generall similar to the form disclosed fi ist, although this second form is somewhat urore "expensive to manufacture.

Inmakingthis last mentioned form of my de- 4 vice, I again start with a length of suitable wire having requisite resiliency and ability to retain its shape when sharply bent. One extremit 2| 0f the length selected is inwardly bent, as shown in Fig. 6 and the stock adjacent thereto is then bent to form an elongated loop 22, as shown, of generally V-shape, said loop generally lying in a plane extending nearly coincident tothe inturned extremity 2 l-. Thestock of wire'imme'diately adjacent the second leg 22a of the loop formed is bent to form a fulcrum eye 23, preferably through a single convolution of the wire and the bight of the -wire is then extended rearwardly and sub- '24, Thesecondl-eg'Ma of the handle 24 is then preferably, through a single convolution, shaped ta isman "eye 25 which surrounds the inwardly bent-firstmentioned extremity 2! of the wire, serving as a fulcrum element for the jaws. The immediate stock of the 'wire is then bent rearwariily at an acute angle to iegzaa emnngia leg 2522 which "extends in a common vertical "plane with leg 24a, and the bight 'of the wire is thereafter bent into a 'U-sha'ped loop 2Bf'pref'erablyjof similar shape and size to the actuato'r handle 2c, the last formed leg of loop"26 extending to the first mentioned fi'ilc'ru-m eye'23, and the "stock of wire immediately Iadjac'ent thereto being bent outwardly to pass 'thifougheye '23 and thereafter extended longitudinallyjandforwardly and bent into the form of an elongated loop '21, the last formed leg of which, 21a, extends rearwardly to the second fulcrurn'eye 25. Thewire is then properly out; or if the precise length is prepared before starting manufacture, the last extremity thereof is inti'irn'ed atsubstantialiy right angles to the leg 21a and isalso, with the first extremity 21 of the clip, passed through fulcrum eye 25.

i; This normally leaves thetwo jaws Or'elongated crumiing of both jaws 'takespla-ce at both'sides of the -'clip with the attendant torsional tension'ing of the metallic spring wire throughout the connections including the bent portionsof the ac tuatinghandles stand Qitfir'ithth'e immediate adjacent porticnof the-jaw 'le'gs'and including also to som eextent, the fulcrum eyes '23 and 25. As in the form of the invention-previouslydescribed one of the jaws (as shown, 21) 'nlay be crimped to form humpsor corrugations 212), if desired.

Iii-utilizing my device it will be readily seen that quite a widebpeningpf "the jaws may be easily obtained through finger pressure upon the two actuating handles. -Thus, material having considerable variation-in thicknesses'may be readily accommodated between the jaws and the actuating pressure released to cause the jaws to tightlygrip the materiahplies,"strandsor the like.

It will'of 'course, be understood that various changes may be mace in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various "parts without departing fromfhe scope of my invention.

In some usesof'my improved chic/it desirable to cover the stock of wire before bending of the parts with soft, tubular material such as rubber mr fabric.

What I vclaim is: 1. A moraines cup constructed from an integfral length of resilient wire, comprising a first of said wire, a first actuating loop formed in the wire emanating from said first jaw member and extending rearwardly therefrom, a fulcrum element formed in the wire emanating from said first actuating loop and extending transversely across the base of said loop under the inner ends of said first jaw member, a second actuating loop formed in the wire emanating from said fulcrum element, said second actuating loop conforming generally in shape to said first actuating loop, but lying in a plane angulated acutely thereto, the wire extending from said second actuating loop under said fulcrum element and being formed into a second U-shaped jaw member normally lying in a plane parallel to and adjacent to the plane of said first jaw member, the end of said second jaw member extending over said fulcrum element.

2. A fulcrumed clip vconstructed from an integral length of resilient wire, comprising a first U-shaped jaw member formed in an end portion of said wire, a first actuating 100p formed in the wire emanating from said first jaw member and extending rearwardly therefrom in a plane angulated obtusely to the plane of said first jaw member, a fulcrum element formed in the wire emanating from said first actuating loop and extending transversely across the base of said loop under the inner ends of said first jaw member, a second actuating loop formed in the wire emanating from said fulcrum element, said second actuating loop conforming generally in shape to said first actuating loop, but lying in a plane angulated acutely thereto, the wire extending from said second actuating loop under said fulcrum element and being formed into a second U-shaped jaw member normally lying in a plane parallel to and adjacent to the plane of said first jaw member, the end ofsaid second jaw member extending over said fulcrum element.

3.A fulcrumed clip constructed from an integral length of resilient wire, comprising a first U-shaped jaw member formed in an end portion of said wire, the wire end being downwardly bent from the plane of said jaw, a first actuating loop formed in the wire emanating from said first jaw member and extending rearwardly therefrom in a plane angulated obtusely thereto, a fulcrum element formed in the wire emanating from said first actuating loop and extending transversely across the base of said loop under the inner ends of said first jaw member, a second actuating loop formed in the wire emanating from said fulcrum element, said second actuating loop conforming generally in shape to said first actuating loop but lying in a plane angulated acutely thereto, the wire extending from said second actuating loop under said fulcrum element and being formed into a second U-shaped jaw member normally lying in a plane parallel to and adjacent to the plane of said first jaw member, the end of said second jaw member being downwardly bent over said fulcrum element.

EMILE P. BOLDUC.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 969,700 Hylkema Sept. 6, 1910 1,443,229 Littlefield Jan. 23, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 438,184 Germany Dec. 8, 1926 

